How I Design Fountains

April 25, 2014 | Time: | Location: | Category: General

How I Design Fountains

Ideas for fountains come from all sorts of places. I am constantly looking at plants with interesting shapes which could work well with water. My wife is an artist and botanical expert and from time to time suggests plants with beautiful leaves or overall shape. Clients also often name particular plants they like. I am especially fond of tree shapes.

Then comes the problem of designing the fountain. I must first decide what the water will do. I must find a way to make it flow in interesting directions that look natural and make the whole plant come alive. This includes design of where the water will be fed from. This is normally from the base and will branch upwards through the stems and come out at different levels. This will often need multiple feeds at different pressures. Water can be fed to each leaf, or can drop from leaf to leaf. Alternatively it can run own a branch with several leaves attached, each taking their share (the positioning of the leaves is critical in this case).

With some plants it is impossible to find a good system for water flow, so the idea must be rejected. However I can sometimes devise a new way around the problem. For example plants, such as the Thalia, are difficult to feed with water because they have nearly vertical leaves. In this case I found a solution by projecting the water upwards within the spine of the leaves, so that it surged out near the top and rippled down the outside over their ribbed surfaces.

Another vital aspect is the sound made by the water as it falls in the pond below (or within the fountain itself). It must make a pleasant sound which suits the location of the fountain. Many small droplets make a gentle musical sound. Large drops, streams and jets are much louder, but can be designed to make a satisfying sound if carefully controlled.

With these factors in mind, I sketch out shapes of the plant which I think will look good and work out ways of making them structurally strong. A knowledge of strength of materials and engineering design is helpful, but unsurprisingly plants have already designed themselves rather well!

If the shape of the fountain is very complicated I will make a small model in three dimensions. I may also do some tests on parts of the design to make sure the system of water flow is feasible and makes the right sounds. The more experience you have, the easier it is to predict what will work in any situation. However it may still be necessary to adjust the design while it is being made, both to optimise its shape and its function.

Finally I will make a sketch of the overall design and work out an estimated price, based on the man-hours to make it and other costs. These will be sent to the client for approval.

Later on, I will talk about how I actually make each fountain.Another vital aspect is the sound made by the water as it falls in the pond below (or within the fountain itself). It must make a pleasant sound which suits the location of the fountain. Many small droplets make a gentle musical sound. Large drops, streams and jets are much louder, but can be designed to make a satisfying sound if carefully controlled.

With these factors in mind, I sketch out shapes of the plant which I think will look good and work out ways of making them structurally strong. A knowledge of strength of materials and engineering design is helpful, but unsurprisingly plants have already designed themselves rather well!

If the shape of the fountain is very complicated I will make a small model in three dimensions. I may also do some tests on parts of the design to make sure the system of water flow is feasible and makes the right sounds. The more experience you have, the easier it is to predict what will work in any situation. However it may still be necessary to adjust the design while it is being made, both to optimise its shape and its function.

Finally I will make a sketch of the overall design and work out an estimated price, based on the man-hours to make it and other costs. These will be sent to the client for approval.